US-EU tariffs dispute
Donald Trump threatened on Friday to impose 50 percent tariffs on EU goods from 1 June, citing a lack of progress in trade negotiations. In a phone conversation with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday, the US president however agreed to delay the move until 9 July after von der Leyen said she was ready to advance the talks "swiftly and decisively". European media take stock.
A compromise in the offing
Naftemporiki doesn't believe the dispute will escalate:
“Donald Trump has picked up his weapon again and targeted Europe. For several weeks there appeared to be calm on the world stage as the US president dealt with geopolitical issues, allowing the markets to pick up strongly because they believed things were returning to normal. Clearly, however, Trump believes he has not yet fulfilled his mission to change the balance of global trade. ... But analysts, brokers and investors have learned their lesson. They know that in the end some kind of compromise will be reached. And, as stock market guru Ed Yardeni points out, 'it's not as bad as you think'.”
Prepare for the worst
The situation is dire for the EU, counters the Handelsblatt's Washington correspondent Annett Meiritz:
“The sooner Europeans start assuming the worst case scenario with Trump, the sooner they can develop their own strategies. ... For the Europeans, this means that they must continue to try to get Trump to agree to concrete deals and show him that these are useful. At the same time they must never rely on these efforts changing the state of permanent disruption. When in doubt, the Americans serve their European 'partners' ice-cold calculation, even if it's sometimes wrapped in warm words. Anyone who still hasn't understood the seriousness of the situation is beyond help.”
Brussels can't keep up
Jutarnji list says the Trump administration is displaying a trade policy actionism that the EU won't be able to match:
“Donald Trump looks like the great MAGA hunter in a safari of superpower interests, a hunter who sees the opportunity, takes aim and hits his target. ... While Brussels is basically spinning on its own axis and looking disoriented, the Trumpists are churning out strategic decrees, negotiations, agreements, changes, plans and so on one after another. How is our 'leader' [EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen] supposed to keep up with all of Trump's initiatives?”
Calculated unpredictability?
Although Trump's methods are unpleasant for his negotiating partners, this is nothing new, Polityka comments:
“Some believe that Trump is employing the 'madman strategy'. This is the term used by President Richard Nixon when he told his staff that it would prompt the other side to make more concessions if he behaved unpredictably and suggested he was prepared to act in the most insane manner. Trump already tested this strategy during his first term, with modest results.”
Patience at an end
For La Stampa, Europe's sluggishness is to blame:
“A cocktail of frustration and anger has led Donald Trump to threaten the EU with 50 percent tariffs starting on 1 June. This sudden move is due to the fact that, in the eyes of the Americans, Brussels is moving too slowly in the negotiations. ... Above all, there has been no response from the European side to the demand for tariffs to be imposed on Chinese goods in Europe. Too much hesitancy for the White House chief, who as usual has chosen the path of intimidation.”